Aphrodite's Child

Greek progressive rock outfit Aphrodite's Child operated across a five-year span bridging the late 1960s and early 1970s, securing a chart-topping album in France along with multiple international successes before keyboardist Vangelis launched his influential solo trajectory. Their 1968 release “Rain and Tears” stood as the ensemble’s most prominent global single, whereas the 1972 double album 666 earned enduring recognition among the finest art-rock statements ever recorded.

Vangelis Papathanassiou and guitarist/vocalist Demis Roussos—previously active in Forminx and the Idols, respectively—assembled the group alongside drummer Loukas Sideras and guitarist Silver Koulouris. The musicians first appeared together on George Romanos’ 1968 album In Concert and in Studio, listed under the name Vangelis and His Orchestra. Plans to relocate to London faltered when the musicians became stranded in Paris without the necessary work permits, leading them to ink a Mercury contract under the Aphrodite’s Child moniker and issue both the breakthrough single “Rain and Tears” and their debut album, End of the World.

Once able to reach London, the quartet tracked its sophomore effort, It’s Five O’Clock, which surfaced in late 1969 and ascended to number one in France. Although the band maintained an active touring schedule, Vangelis remained in Paris to compose the Sex Power film score. Harris Halkitis assumed Vangelis’ onstage role during live dates, after which the group unveiled the 1970 single “Spring, Summer, Winter, and Fall.” Another standalone track, “Such a Funny Night,” followed in 1971.

Extended sessions produced 666, a conceptual rendering of the Book of Revelation. The musicians had already disbanded by the album’s 1972 release; despite modest initial sales, it steadily cultivated a devoted audience and came to be viewed as one of rock’s earliest and most accomplished concept albums. Numerous tracks from the set have since been sampled and reinterpreted repeatedly. Although various Aphrodite’s Child anthologies have appeared and occasional collaborations among former members have occurred, the band never reformed. Vangelis died in 2022.